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Many businesses are already using Pinterest --a social media website that
lets people save (or "pin") pictures in titled collections--to
raise awareness of their brand and drive traffic to their websites.
But it's also a powerful tool to create a vision board,
meaning a collection of photos and short phrases that
represent your business goals.

"The purpose of a vision board is really to get you to focus on
what it is you're striving for," explains Marcia Layton Turner,
author of The Complete Idiot's Guide to Vision Boards
(Alpha, 2009). "In a way, it could be used as a visual business
plan."

Unlike a business plan that gathers dust in a
drawer, this collage of photos is meant to be looked at daily.
"Through pictures, [a vision board] focuses your mind," Turner
says. It helps you notice opportunities and stay on the path
to success.

Though vision boards are nothing new, Pinterest allows you to
take them to a whole new level. Not only do you have access to
millions of photos, you can engage followers, store useful links,
and drum up public support. Follow these four tips to create a
Pinterest vision board that will help you reach your goals:

1. Create specific goals. "Vision boards are
very literal," Turner says. "You have to really think through
what you're after." Ask yourself: Where will my company be in
five years? What will it be known for? What will the offices look
like? How many employees will I have? How many users? The point
is for you to articulate exactly what you want to achieve.

Follow brands you admire for inspiration, or include them on your
vision board with a note about what they do well. Focus on the
practices you want to emulate so you can work toward a positive
goal.

2. Express your vision to consumers. Pinterest
is a public way to share your vision of the future. "You can
really galvanize the public to support you before you open your
doors," Turner says.

Think about how consumers could support your vision and encourage
them to do so. For example, if you want your staff to carpool to
work, offer incentives for your followers to do the same or ask
them to share how they've "greened" their commute in the
comments.

3. Go beyond images. The biggest benefit of
creating your vision board on Pinterest is that each picture
links to the original source, allowing you to store articles,
infographics, videos, or websites that can help you achieve your
goals. If you want to double your reach on social media, you can
pin a picture from an article with helpful tips and return to the
article as you work toward that benchmark.

But one last word of caution...

4. Be careful what you share. As of right now,
Pinterest does not allow private boards (though they are
considering it), so make sure that you only include the goals
that you're comfortable sharing.